Girdle



Oct. 24, 1933. c, HOFFMAN 1,931,822

GIRDLE Filed April 8, 1933 "@MM.F W W CHA KLES A. HOFFMAN Patented Oct.24, 1933 Y UNITED STATES" GIRDLE Charles A. Hoffman, Wyomissing, Pa.,assignor to Vanity Fair Silk Mills, Reading, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application April 8, 1933. Serial No. 665,173

3 Claims.

This invention relates to girdles and proposesthe construction of agarment of that type having an elastic form-fitting hip encompassingportion terminating in an elastic waist band at '5.the top and having afull or gathered skirt of relative sheer material at the bottom. Whenworn, the skirt portion freely surrounds the legs in a zone just belowthe crotch.

One of the objects of the invention is to pro- '10. vide a garment inwhich diametrical portions of the skirt are detachably brought togetherto form a crotch closure, the flimsy material of the skirt beingarranged so as to drape itself in a manner to close in on the areasdisplaced in the provision 15. of the crotch closure, completelyconcealing the crotch closure.

Another object of the invention is the form ing of skirt portion insections united in the seam in the front and back, and utilizing areassym- .metrical with the seams to constitute the crotch closure, wherebythe seam reinforces the crotch closure, preventing stretching of thematerial.

Other objects of the invention will appear as the following descriptionof a preferred and prac- "tical embodiment of my invention proceeds.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of the followingspecification and throughout the several figures of which the samecharacters of reference have been employed to designate identical parts:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a girdle embodying the features of thepresent invention, displayed on a figure;

Figure 2 is a perspective'view displaying the 35. icrotch closure;

Figure 3 is aside view showing the skirt; and

Figure 4 is a front elevation showing the crotch closure released.

Referring now in detail to the several figures, .the numeral 1represents in general the girdle which comprises in its preferred form arelatively heavyknit elastic portion 2 adapted to encircle the lowerportion of the body in the region of the abdomen, encompassing the hips.The

45..upper edge of the elastic portion 2 terminates in an elasticwaistband 3. On account of the fact that the elastic portion 2 isdesigned to be considerably stretched when worn, it acts to flatten theabdomen and to conform smoothly to the lines of the figure. The loweredge 4 of the suitable manner is the skirt 5 which is preferably ofsheer material and made 'full or. gathered.

' The skirt is bifurcated at the sides as indicated by the referencecharacter 6 to give freedom of movement to the legs.

The skirt is preferably formed of four sections, two at the front andtwo at the back and united I in the middle of the front and back byseams 7 and 8. The material of the skirt is drawn in at the front andback in areas symmetrical with respect to the seams 7 and 8 formingcrotch closure members 9 and 10, one of which is provided with a button11 and the other with a button loop 12. The edge of the skirt includingthose portions which constitute the crotch closure are suitably bound.

On account of the sheer nature of the skirt material and its fullness,those parts of the skirt adjacent theareas drawn in to form the crotchclosure, drape themselves into close adjacency as indicated at 13 and14. in Fig. 3 so as completely to conceal the presence of the crotchmembers 9 and 10.

The seams '7 and 8 form median reinforcements for the members 9 and 10and prevent them becoming stretched. When the crotch members areunbuttoned, they naturally become part of the entity of the skirt fromwhich they wereso derived, thus facilitating ironing.

The crotch portionmay be worn either open or closed and when open itbecomes an indistinguishable portion of the skirt;

While I have in theabove description disclosed What I believe to be apreferred and practical embodiment of the invention, it is to beunderstood that the specific details of construction as described aremerely by way of example and not to be construed as limiting the scopeof the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. Girdle comprising a body portion and a skirt, the latter being madein sections united by seams inthe middle of the front and back, portionsof said skirt symmetrical with said seams being drawn together betweenthe legs forming a crotch closure, of which the seams constitute areinforcement inhibiting stretching, and means for detachably connectingthe ends of said drawn-in portions.

v2. Girdle comprising 'a body portion and a skirt, the latter being madein sections ununited at the sides'and united by seams in the middle ofthe front-and back, portions of said skirt symmetrical with said seamsbeing drawn together between the legs forming a crotch closure of whichthe seams constitute a reinforcement inhibiting stretching, and. meansfor detachably connecting the ends ofv said drawn-in portions. -l10 a.reinforcement, inhibiting stretching, and means for detachablyconnecting the ends of said drawn-in portions, the Sheerness of saidskirt causing the portions adjacent said drawnin portions to drapethemselves in close adjacency by gravity, concealing said drawn-inportions.

CHARLES A. HOFFMAN.

I no

